I took up running recently and joined a club. Now, I’m pretty much hooked on it. Running has all the advantages one would expect: fitness, weight loss and general sense of well-being. One distinct advantage that I hadn’t expected though, is how sociable it is (provided you join a club of course).
My business model is one of self employment, supported by a network of associates. It’s working extremely well for me. It keeps costs and admin time to a minimum, and a small but varied and trusted associate listing maximises my service offering to clients. What it does not do however, is provide me with the day to day social interaction that most people get at the office.
More and more people are deciding to work from home (either becoming self-employed or to simply maximise their quality work time) and the advantages of this are very clear. Less time spent in traffic along with increased flexibility about when you work are likely to be top of everyone’s list of work preferences. However, the effects on your social life can be negative. Work colleagues provide a great outlet for work related discussions and if you don’t have them it’s easy to ‘dump’ this on your nearest and dearest (who is also probably hoping to relax and unwind after a hard day at the office).
Going for a run helps me to mentally let go of this need to talk through my day – the physical exertion just distracts me. And having a relaxed (albeit breathless!) chat with fellow runners reminds me that there is life outside the day-to-day demands of work and family life.
So, if you find you need an outlet for the pressures of your home-working day, buy yourself a pair of trainers and hit the pavement, park or track. It will do you a world of good and you’ll soon notice positive knock on effects on your working day through feeling more alert, positive and energetic.
What else do you do to make up for the lack of an office-based social life or pressure valve?
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